No.1 Panoram-Kodak
Turns out panoramic photography enthusiasts have been around nearly as long as photography itself. Take the No.1 Panoram-Kodak as evidence. This swing lens camera was introduced in 1900 and enjoyed a production run of almost three decades, being discontinued in 1926. The No.1 Panoram-Kodak created 2.25" x 7" images using Kodak 105 format film. In order to make these sweeping panoramic photos, the No.1 Panoram-Kodak employed a swinging lens design, where the lens of the camera pivoted during exposure, swinging through an arc and "wiping" the exposure onto the negative. The film meanwhile was held across a curved mask so that the entire length of the negative was equal distance from the lens, creating even exposure left to right.It is a pretty impressive piece of camera engineering given this camera's early date in the history of photography.
Of course, such a swing lens design introduced complications. Both the aperture and focus on the No.1 were fixed and shutter speed was determined by setting the swing of the lens to either fast or slow. The focus on the No.1 Panoram-Kodak started about 20 feet out and ran to infinity. So this was not a camera meant for up close and personal work. It was intended for use in landscapes (such as the work of Captain William Shakespear in Saudia Arabia) or for large group portraiture.
There are at least two different versions of the No.1 Panoram-Kodak. The earlier model is a two-piece box of a camera. Film is loaded by unhooking the back half of the camera body, pulling it away from the front half and exposing the loading chamber. This was updated with the later Model D which was an all-in-one approach. The Model D forsook the two-piece box for a hinged back door allowing access to the film chamber.
Should you get your hands on one of these cameras you are in for a treat. They are fun to use and the immense panoramic negatives have to be seen to be properly enjoyed. Don't be discouraged by the 105 film format either for it is easy to convert 120 film to take its place!
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